Street-railway switch



PATENT'ED JAN. 5, 1904.

W .J BELL STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION ILED MAYV, 1903.

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PATENT OFFICE.'

WALTER'J. BELL, OF LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO LEON F. MOSS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

STREET-RAILWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,688, dated January 5, 190,4.

.To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WALTER J. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Railway Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Io In an application for patent tiled by me August 5, 1902, Serial No. 118,460, I have shown, described, and claimed a switching mechanism comprised, broadly speaking, of a switch-tongue, fluid-actuated means for I5 moving the tongue,and electrically-controlled means to set the parts to effect such movement at the will of the operator. I have also filed concurrently with this present application an application for patent, Serial No.'

zo 155,971, for a switching mechanism constructed on lines generally similar to those of the mechanism exhibited in my first-named application, the construction including iuid' actuated means for moving the switch-tongue and electrically-controlled means eecting such movement.

The present invention is still another type of switching mechanism embodying the general principles of the above-referred-to con- 3o structions, but containing structural differences which are pointed out in the following detailed description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my present improvements in the preferred form of embodiment, it being understood that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of invention defined by the concluding claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a part plan and 4o part sectional view of a switching mechanism embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views of the three-way valve, showing the two positions. Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the electromechanical valve-operating means. i o

' Referring tothe drawings by numerals, 1 denotes one of the main-track rails, and 2 is one of the branch-track rails. tongue 3 may be of the usual construction,

5o and the means by which the tongue is thrown to open the branch track may be a pivoted cylinder.

The switch-V Application led May 7, 1903. Serial No. 155,970. (No model.)

rail 4, the latter being engaged and moved by the wheeliiange from its normal position (shown in full lines) to the position indicated by dotted lines.

Adjacent to the tongue 3 and rail 4 are a pair of cylinders, in one of which, 5, is slidably arranged a piston 6, connected to the tongue 8 by a rod 7, passing through a packed opening in the cylinder end. A spring 8, 6o coiled around the rod between the piston and the stuffing-box, operates to restore the piston and switch-tongue' to normal position. (Shown in full lines.) In the other cylinder,9, is a slidable piston 10, and 11 is a rod con-v 65 necting the piston and` switch-throwing rail 4, the rod being movable in a packed opening in the cylinder end. Each cylinder is provided with a hand-hole, at which is a cover 12 to afford access to the stuffing-boxes. A 7o coiled Yspring 13, interposed between the piston -10 and opposite cylinder end, operates to restore the cylinder and rail after movement to the position shown in full lines.

14 is a cylindrical casing in which is rota- 75 tably mounted a three-way valve 15. The casing connects at its inner open end with the interior of the cylinder 9 by a section of pipe 16, the other endA of the casing being closed with the exception of a central open- 8c ing, through which extends the stem 17 of the valve 15. A pipe 18 connects the casing with the interior of cylinder 5, and in the valve, which is of a cylindrical form, is an opening 19, which in the rotation of the valve to the rightis brought into register with the pipe 18 to establish communication between the cylinders.

20 denotes a by-pass tank connected with the cylinder 9 by two pipes 2l 22 and with the 9c valve-casing 14 by a pipe 23.

24 is an opening in the valve normally in register with the pipe 23. The pipe 2l contains a check-valve 25, opening in the direction of the tank 20, and in the pipe 22 is a 95 check-valve opening in. the direction of the The valve at its inner end is open, as shown at 27, and to its closed opposite end is attached its stem 17. Said stem is bent at right angles, providing an arm 28, to which roo is secured an armature 29, and 30 is an electromagnetelectrically connected in a manner to be energized by closing a circuit on the car. The armature is normally elevated to position the valve, as shown in Fig. 2, by the action of a coiled spring 31, and 32 is a stop to limit its upward movement.

The cylinders at the rear of the pistons are iilled with a liquid, the liquid also filling the valve-casing and valve and the pipe `-l 18. Normally the valve assumes the .position shown in Fig. 2, and communication between the cylinders is cut o. Movement of the rail 4 by the wheel-ange moves the piston 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow, and in such movement the liquid is forced into the tank 20 through the valve-openings 27 and 24 and the pipe 23. After the car has passed the rail 4 the spring 13 restores the piston lO and rail 4 to normal position,and the displaced liquid returns to the cylinder from the tank, which is elevated to be drained by gravity. When a car is to switch to the rails 2, the operator closes the circuit in any convenient manner, as by pressing a pushbutton, and the energized magnet attracts the armature, depressing the arm 28 and rotating the valve to bring its opening 19 into register with the pipe 18 and its opening 24 out of register with pipe 23, as shown in Fig. 3. The cylinders are thus placed in communication, and movement of the rail 4 is communicated to the switch-tongue by the body of liquid passing from the cylinder 9 through the valve-openings 27 and 19 and pipe 18 and entering the cylinder 5 and exerting pressure against the piston 6. After the car has traversed the switch the parts are retracted by the action of the springs 8 and 13. If the movement of the switch-tongue should become obstructed, the liquid in the cylinder will in the movement of the piston 10 enter the tank 2O by the pipe 2l, the valve in pipe 22 remaining closed, and in the return movement of the piston the liquid returns to the cylinder 9 by the pipe 22.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a piston connected therewith, an element arranged to be moved by a car, a piston connected with the element, fluid bodies at the pistons,a by-pass tank, pipe connections between the fluid bodies and the tank including a three-'way valve, and electricallycontrolled means for moving said valve.

2. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a piston connected therewith, an element arranged to be moved by the car, a piston connected with the element, fluid-powertransmission means between the pistons including a three-way valve, and electricallycontrolled means for moving said valve.

3. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a spring-retracted piston connected therewith, a switch-throwing rail, a springretracted piston connected with said rail, fluid bodies at the pistons, a by-pass tank, pipe connections between the fluid bodies and between one of said bodies and said tank, a valve adapted to be moved to establish communication between said bodies or to establish communication with one of said bodies and said tank, and means for moving said valve.

4. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a piston connected therewith, an element arranged to be moved by a car, a piston connected with said element, iluid bodies at the pistons, a receiver, and means for establishing communication between said fluid bodies or between one of said bodies and said receiver.

5. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a spring-retracted piston connected therewith, an element arranged to be moved by a car, a spring-retracted piston connected with said element, duid bodies at the pistons, ahy-pass tank, and electromechanical means for establishing communication between said duid vbodies or between one of said bodies and said tank.

6. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder connected with the tongue, a switch-throwing rail, a cylinder, a piston in the last-named cylinder connected with said rail, a by-pass tank, a valve-casing connected with said cylinders and with said tank, a three-way valve in the cylinder, and electrically-controlled means for moving said valve.

7. In a switching mechanism, a switchtongue, a cylinder, a spring-retracted piston inthe cylindeil connected with said tongue, a switch-throwing rail, a cylinder, a springretracted piston in the last-named cylinder connected with said rail, a by-pass tank, a valve-casing connected with said cylinders and with the tank, a rotatable spring-retracted three-way valve in said casing, an armature on the valve, and an electromagnet arranged to attract the armature and rotate the valve.

8. In a switching mechanism, an element arranged to be moved by a car, a piston connected with the element, a switch-tongue, a liuid body at said piston, transmission means between the liuid body and tongue, areceiver, and ingress and egress pipes connecting the fluid body and receiver, and check-valves in said pipes.

In testimony whereof I aitlx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER J. BELL.

Witnesses:

H. L. SHEPsToN, A. D. BOND.

ICO

IIC' 

